What was an elaborate celebration to commemorate Mike Lynch’s high stakes fraud acquittal turned into tragedy as his superyacht fell victim to a freak water spout.
The luxury sailboat was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a ‘whirlwind’ hit the area just before 5am this morning, wrecking the boat and causing it to rapidly disappear beneath the waves.
The yacht had been visible to surrounding ships before it suddenly vanished, claiming the life of one person while six remain missing.
Fifteen of the 22 people onboard were rescued by Sir Robert BP, a Dutch sailing ship, which was in front of the yacht.
British tech tycoon Lynch had reportedly invited his family and friends on the sailboat to celebrate charges of fraud and conspiracy for allegedly scheming to inflate a company’s value before it was sold being dropped.
He had gathered guests from legal firm Clifford Chance, and his own company Invoke Capital after being cleared in June.
‘At around 4:30 in the morning it was gone. A beautiful vessel where there had been a party. A normal holiday day spent happily at sea turned into a tragedy,’ a witness told Italian news agency ANSA.
As a desperate search effort is underway to find the missing six – including British and American tourists – MailOnline takes a look at how the tragedy unfolded.
The storm hitting
The superyacht was lit up and illuminating the water when a water spout suddenly occured in close proximity to the boat.
Just before 5am in the morning, the yacht became caught up in the spout and then suddenly disappeared, according to witnesses.
The superyacht was docked off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, when a ‘whirlwind’ hit the area just before 5am this morning
The yacht going down
Witnesses have described the moment the yacht went down as very sudden, claiming it was as if it just disappeared.
One person said: ‘The boat was all lit up. Around 4.30 am, it was no longer there.
‘A beautiful boat where there was a party. A normal joyous vacation day at sea turned into tragedy.’
Meanwhile, the captain of the Dutch ship which saved 15 of the 22 people onboard the yacht also claimed the boat disappeared.
Captain Karsten Borner told the BBC: ‘After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone.’
He added: ‘With a light we saw that the ship was inside [the water], and then we saw a triangle. So I think she went back. Terrible. Terrible moment.’
A handout photo made available on 19 August 2024 by Perini Navi Press Office shows the ‘Bayesian’ sailing boat, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Captain Karsten Borner told the BBC: ‘After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone’
Passengers rescued
Fifteen of the 22 passengers – including British and American tourists – were saved by Captain Borner’s Dutch ship.
Once the storm subsided, Borner said he and his friend noticed a flare in the water, and made their way towards it.
There they found the lifeboat with those who had escaped inside, including a one-year-old baby and mother Charlotte Golunski.
The mother, who survived the sinking, said she had held her baby aloft to save her from drowning.
Among the six still missing are British billionaire tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter.
Search rescue
Cave divers arrive to join in the rescue operation in Palermo, Sicily, on August 19
Experienced cave divers for deep sea recoveries arrive at the pier as a rescue operation continues for the missing people who were on board a sailboat that sank, in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, 19 August
Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares (right) was among the fifteen people who were rescued from the yacht
Survivor of the Sicily yacht sinking Charlotte Golunski, who fought to save her baby in the storm
A massive search operation to find the six still missing continues today.
Tragically, the body of a man – believed to be a Canadian national who was working as the boat’s chef – was found floating alongside the vessel earlier today.
There are fears that those who are still missing became trapped in their cabins, with divers earlier reporting that they saw ‘bodies through the portholes’ of the yacht, according to Italian media.
